


In Case You Didn't Know

by dlodle0



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24807400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dlodle0/pseuds/dlodle0
Summary: Jack tells the story of how quarantine brought her and Gibbs together
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres, Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Comments: 15
Kudos: 115





	In Case You Didn't Know

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sleep Without You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24798121) by [WannaBeBold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/pseuds/WannaBeBold). 



> Hey guys! So this story is a play off a scene from Sleep Without You from Wannabebold. I highly suggest you read the prequel Reason To Stay as well as Sleep Without you but I guess this could sort of make sense without them?

**Friday June 19th**

  
**_Ellie trailed off as she tried to think of a come back to Jack before a lightbulb went off. “Well what about you Jack?”_ **

**_“Wha- what about me?” Kasie smirked at her friend’s change of direction but couldn’t resist teasing Jack a little too._ **

**_“You know, your thing with Gibbs that you won’t admit is a thing?” It was Jack’s turn to be embarrassed now as she hung her head to hide her blush but the other’s caught her smile._ **

**_“Wait a second… Why are you smiling? Oh! Did something happen with you and Gibbs?!”_ **

**_“Maybe…” Jack trailed off as Kasie squealed and Ellie smacked her arm in excitement._ **

**_“Oh tell us!”_ **

**_“Well… It all started at the beginning of quarantine when I showed up on Gibbs doorstep because I didn’t know what would happen if he had to stay alone for who knows how long…”_ ** **_Ellie and Kasie leaned in to listen intently as Jack told the story of staying with Gibbs during quarantine and how it led to them confessing feelings too._ **

  
  


**Friday March 27th**

Jack hated Fridays. In her opinion there was nothing worse than those last few hours before they could leave work. She was already awake, in the middle of drinking her coffee and curling her hair when her laptop dinged in her living room. Jack let the last wave fall from the curling iron before going after it. She didn’t normally get messages this early in the morning and her frown deepened when she saw it was from Vance. Sitting down, she clicked on it to start reading.

_Good morning everyone!I hope that everyone is doing well. I just wanted to reach out & let everyone know a few things. _

_We here at NCIS HQ are very closely monitoring everything happening in the world with this virus. These are unprecedented times. With that being said, all non essential NCIS agents and employees are currently being asked to work from home and follow the safer at home order. We will have one MRCT team on call and will swap out if it becomes necessary. We will start with Agent Gibbs team. With any luck, we will be back to business as usual by April 30th. However, everyone's safety is our first priority! Nothing else is as important!_

_I know we will all get through this and come out stronger as a whole, but we will definitely need to keep in touch during this time. We at NCIS are a family and we hope that we can come together as a community and network to help each other out during this time. I encourage you to keep in touch with your team or anyone you think may need help during this time._

_Best, Director Leon Vance._

Jack read the email once, twice, three times before she got up again, starting to pace the room. “Okay. A month without work. We can handle this.” Already her apartment felt too small, too tight. At least an entire month alone? Her worried thoughts drifted to the team she was closest with and then to their fearless team leader. She hurried down the hall, grabbing what she needed as she went. 

XXXX

A half hour later, she was walking through his front door, suitcase rolling in behind her. He glanced up from his breakfast, “Morning?” He grumbled around the bite he had taken.

“Have you seen it?” 

“Seen what, Jack?” 

She made her way through the house, into the kitchen. As she poured herself a cup of coffee and searched for the sugar that she had started keeping here after one too many poker nights of him being out, it dawned on her. He wouldn’t have seen it. His phone could barely handle texting and the last time she had seen his NCIS issued laptop, it was being used as a coaster for his beer.

“Jack, you gonna tell me what’s going on?” He had abandoned his breakfast in the living room and leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. “Hey.”

Jack pulled up her email on her phone, turning it so he could see. He squinted moving the phone back to try and see. Jack reached into her purse and pulled out her glasses. “Here. Put these on and sit down.”

He obeyed for once and a few minutes later, he was still staring at the phone. “Well damn.” He took the glasses off, handing them back as he rubbed his face. “All right.” He glanced back at her suitcase by the door. “You staying?”

“If you’ll have me.” She did her best to sound nonchalant but knew she failed when he smirked over at her. 

“Take your stuff to the guest room, Sloane.”

**Monday March 31st**

Jack had spent the majority of the last four days catching up on any old paperwork for the both of them. She scrawled her signature at the bottom of the last page and tossed the file she was working on to the finished pile. 

It was late in the evening when her phone rang and she leaned over to grab it. "Hey McGee!" Gibbs lifted his head from where he had been laying on the couch when she said his Senior Field Agents name.

"Hey Jack. Listen I'm heading to the store so I was just checking to see if you needed anything while I was out. No sense in us all being out if we don’t have to be.” 

“That’s so sweet, McGee. I think we’re okay though.” 

"We're?" He asked and she bit her lip, looking at Gibbs. He gave her a short nod.

"Yeah. I'm staying with Gibbs until all of this calms down. We figured it was better to team up."

This time she could hear the amusement in his voice. "Got it. You sure you’re okay?” 

“Yeah McGee. We’re okay. I’ll let you know if we need anything. Give the kids a kiss from us.”

Jack was still looking at Gibbs and caught the flash of a smile that her words created by bringing up his grandkids. 

“I will.” McGee promised before hanging up. 

Gibbs swung his legs off of the couch. “Gonna take a shower.” Jack nodded and waited until she heard the water running to grab her purse. 

As part of her tele-therapy she was doing with Grace, she had agreed to keep a diary. She made sure she could still hear the water running as she opened it and sat down at the kitchen table to write. She hadn’t gotten very far when her phone ran again, this time with Faith’s ringtone and she hopped up to go into the living room. As she answered, she slipped out the front door for some privacy.

Meanwhile, Gibbs had just finished in the shower. He made his way downstairs, rubbing his hand through his wet hair. He could see Jack through the window, face somber as she nodded and spoke again to whoever was on the phone. He moved into the dining room to go to the kitchen and the notebook on the table caught his eye.

He leaned over the back of the chair to get a better look at the writing. After a few words, he knew he should stop but he risked a glance back through the window. Jack had her back to him now so he kept reading.

_It’s been almost a year since I told Grace I feel alone. Things have changed a bit, I talk to Faith more but so much is still the same. He still doesn’t know how I feel and I’m starting to think he never will. I wish it was as easy as just walking up to him and saying “I love you.” Every time I think we are getting ready to take any sort of step forward, we end up backing down at the last minute. I find myself wondering who is more afraid, me or him._

_Here’s probably where Grace would ask me what I would say if I could say anything without having to face the repercussions so here it goes._

_You make life better. You are the real reason I stayed in DC. You make this place feel like home._

_I’ve known from that very first minute of coming through your door that this was it for me. You are the love I’ve been waiting for. And now that I know you exist, how do I not love you?_

The writing stopped there and he could only stare down at it. The sound of the door opening and closing shocked him out of his thoughts and he quickly left the dining room, greeting her in the living room. “Who was that?”

Jack shook her head, sinking into the couch. “Faith. She wanted to call and let me know that she’s okay.” She closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. “It’s all hands on deck down there.”

He sat beside her, laying his hand on her arm. “She’s going to be okay, Jack.”

Jack bit back a scared retort and nodded. Without thinking her hand found his and held onto it tightly, betraying the confidence her voice held. “Yeah I’m sure you’re right.” 

They were both quiet for a moment and their eyes found their hands. Jack cleared her throat and stood, pushing back her hair. “I need something to do. I can’t just sit around waiting for her to call again.”

“Come downstairs with me.” He was already standing with her and he took her hand again when she didn’t move. “Jack, come on.”

“I’m coming, Cowboy.” She squeezed his hand, grateful for the contact. Once they were downstairs he handed her a sanding block. 

Instead of letting go he moved behind her holding her hands in his, voice soft in her ear. “You go with the grain.” He guided her hands gently in the motion a few times and she waited for him to let go but he didn’t. Not that Jack minded. She leaned slightly into the feeling of his strength behind her as he kept their hands moving. The comforting feeling of his arms around her and the soothing motion of their hands brought tears to her eyes.

He didn’t notice she was crying until he saw a tear splash onto the wood in front of them. “Jack.” 

She shook her head and sniffled, “Keep going. Please.”

He nodded and risked pressing a light kiss to her temple. He was about to start moving again when she turned, between him and the boat and buried her head in his chest. Her cries grew in intensity when she did and he let the sanding block fall to the floor so he could hold her properly. One of his hands cradled her head and the other ran up and down her back. “Shhh. Shhh.” Though he tried to soothe her, he let her cry as long as she needed. 

She pulled back once she was calm and her face was twisted with shame. “Your shirt…”

“I don’t give a damn about the shirt, Jack.” He lifted her chin so she would look at him. “Just a shirt.”

Before Jack could stop herself, she was on her tiptoes, her lips pressed firmly to his. His hand splayed across her back, holding her in place so he could answer her kiss with the same fervor. He hadn’t quite wrapped his mind what was happening when suddenly she was pulling away. Her eyes were wide with what almost looked to be panic and she took off up the stairs. He stared after her before a smile spread across his face.

**Wednesday April 1st**

After she had kissed Gibbs, Jack had grabbed her diary off the kitchen table and headed straight to the guest room. It was morning now and she still hadn’t left the room. She could smell him making coffee and though it was tempting, she refused to get out of bed. 

He waited to hear her coming down the stairs as he made breakfast and frowned when it passed nine and she still hadn’t come down. “Jack?” He called up the stairs. Still nothing. He grabbed the cup of coffee he had made for her and headed up. He knocked twice on the door. “I know you’re awake in there. You don’t sleep past nine.”

The door cracked open and he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. “You coming down for breakfast?”

“That coffee for me?” 

He chuckled softly and held it just out of reach, ignoring the death glare she sent his way. “You’ll have to come get it.”

“Gibbs.” She huffed his name and his smile only grew. 

“Sloane.” He stuck his foot in the door so she couldn’t close it. “You coming?”

The door opened the rest of the way and she titled the cup in his hand so she could take a drink, eyes still on his. “You got the sugar right.”

“Been watching you make your coffee for almost a week.” She graced him with a smile again before she took the mug completely and headed down the stairs.If she wasn’t ready to talk about it, he wouldn’t make her so he followed behind. 

After breakfast, they stood side by side doing the dishes in a comfortable silence. So he thought. Jack grabbed her phone and turned on a song, softly singing along as she went back to handing him clean dishes and he knew then he was done for. There was nothing he wanted more than to have every day be just like this one, her in casual clothes filling his house with warmth and laughter he hadn’t felt in years.

“Earth to Gibbs. Hellooooo? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He didn’t look away as he responded, “Not looking at you any different than I normally do.”

“Jethro.” The sound of his first name had him putting down the plate she had handed him down.

“Jacqueline.” He saw her swallow hard at her full name on his lips and he stepped closer into her space, giving her time to stop him if she wanted to. He lifted his hand to her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear as he did. Her eyes flicked between his eyes and his lips. 

She wondered if he could feel that her heart was about to burst out of her chest. The second his lips touched hers, Jack let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. His arm wrapped tight around her and he let out a quiet noise of disappointment when she pulled back. “If this is a joke, I’ll kill you.”

He frowned before he remembered what day it was. “Not a joke.” He assured her, “ I’m not afraid anymore. I’m ready to take the step if you are.”

Jack had rested her head against his shoulder at his assurance but it snapped right back up when he echoed the sentiments she had written the day before. “When?”

“You were on the phone with Faith.” There was no reason to lie to her. He wanted to do this right, not turn it into another loss. Jack nodded a few times before she smiled.

“I’ve been ready.”

**Thursday June 18th**

When the stay at home order was lifted, Jack went around his house to find her things. She was in the bathroom, grabbing her shampoo and skin care when he appeared in the doorway. She held up the items with a grin. “Just getting my stuff. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“Or you could stay.”

Her brow furrowed, “What?” Her eyes met his in the mirror and her face flushed. 

His hands brushed her hips as he wrapped his arms around her. “Want you to stay. You make it feel like home.” He gave her a minute to take in the words. “So, what do ya say Jack?”

Just like that night in the basement, she turned in his arms. But nothing else about it was the same, this time she was smiling as she raised up to kiss him, "Yes.” 

**Friday June 19th**

Jack was blushing when she finished the story, Kasie and Ellie staring at her. “It's about time!!” Ellie said happily as she leaned over to squeeze Jack’s arm. “Wait. Does he know that we know?”

“Is this another secret we are going to have to keep?” Kasie asked.

Jack took a drink to hide her still growing smile as she thought of the conversation they had right before she left, “We talked about it. No secrets.”

The girls cheered and Ellie raised her glass. “Well then, here’s to us and no more rule twelve.” She winked at Jack.

Jack laughed as they tapped their glasses together, “I’ll drink to that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr: Oneworthsaving


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